Inner Sircle

Hosted by Adam Brown

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696

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Oct 2026

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About the show

Strategies, tactics and insights for the Inner Sircle at Sircle Media

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October 19, 20264 min

AI favors brands with an active social media presence

Social platform links appeared in a majority of Google’s artificial intelligence search results, according to a new study. Here’s something I think every brand should be paying attention to right now: social media isn’t just about reaching people on social anymore. It’s increasingly impacting how your brand shows up in AI search. A new study from SE Ranking analyzed 100,000 keywords to see which sources are showing up in Google and AI chatbot responses. And the big takeaway? Social content is becoming part of the information these tools surface. Social platform links appeared in nearly 68% of Google AI Overviews and about 32% of Google AI Mode responses. ChatGPT was lower, at around 8%, but we’re still seeing social platforms make their way into those answers. And the platforms matter too. YouTube is the most commonly cited social source within Google’s AI Overviews, while Reddit and LinkedIn are among the social platforms showing up most often in ChatGPT responses. What I find especially interesting is that when SE Ranking looked specifically at Google AI Mode, social sources appeared in about 39% of branded searches and nearly 49% of non-branded searches. So what does that actually mean for brands? Your social strategy is becoming part of your search strategy. The content you’re putting out there can help AI tools understand who your brand is, what you offer, and when you might be relevant to someone’s question. Now, this is constantly changing. We’ve already seen ChatGPT dramatically reduce how often it cites Reddit, while Google continues to reference it pretty heavily. So there isn’t one magic platform or one formula for optimizing for AI. But that’s really the point. As discovery continues to evolve beyond traditional Google search, brands need to think about social as more than just a content channel. Social is becoming part of your brand’s digital footprint. And the stronger, clearer, and more consistent that footprint is, the more opportunities you’re creating to be discovered, whether someone is scrolling Instagram, searching Google, or asking an AI tool a question.

May 27, 20262 min

Social media drives consumer discovery, per Meta

Meta recently published a report focused on the rise of “social search” and how platforms like Meta believe discovery behavior is shifting away from traditional search engines and more toward social platforms. Link the article can be found here.

January 23, 20263 min

Confused about Instagram hashtags and whether you should still be using them? Let’s clear it up.

Confused about Instagram hashtags and whether you should still be using them? Let’s clear it up. In 2025, Adam Mosseri shared that Instagram was prioritizing SEO keywords over hashtags. Instead, keywords in captions, bios, and especially on-screen text started playing a much bigger role in discoverability. Fast forward to 2026, and Instagram made another update that’s important to understand. Hashtags are back — but with guardrails. You can now use up to five hashtags per post , and they’re meant to support SEO, not replace it. They only work if they’re highly intentional. Why this works is pretty simple. It guarantees keyword coverage, so you’re not relying only on captions. It reinforces SEO discipline without cluttering the actual caption. And it creates consistency across posts and across accounts. It is also important to note that Instagram content is now Google-searchable. Public posts from Business and Creator accounts can show up in Google Search. That includes static posts, carousels, Reels, and captions. This unlocks reach beyond the Instagram feed. It increases discoverability through Google. It gives content a longer shelf life. And it strengthens your brand’s overall SEO footprint. The takeaway is that Instagram isn’t just a social platform anymore — it’s part of your search strategy.

January 19, 20264 min

Social strategies > one off, trending tactics of the time.

Many brands are too focused on current tactics, and they get too myopic and lose sight of the broader goal. It is not about chasing any type of en vogue content style. It is about understanding the bigger goal, and then banking wins that are in service of that goal.

December 12, 20251 min

PSA: Instagram has changed how views are counted.

Are you wondering why your Instagram views have suddenly dropped? Instagram recently updated how “views” are counted, and this shift is causing numbers to look lower across the board. So let’s break down what happened in a really simple way. Previously, Instagram was pretty generous with what counted as a view. If someone saw your Reel or post — even for a split second — Instagram counted that as a view. That included: Someone scrolling past your post on the Explore page Someone skimming your profile Someone seeing a quick preview of your Reel in their feed All of those moments were counted as views… even if the person didn’t actually tap the post or watch anything intentionally. This meant your view counts were inflated by a lot of passive impressions. Instagram has removed those “preview views.” Now, a view only counts if someone taps into your post and actually watches it. So if they scroll past it? If they see a two-second preview? If they skim your profile but don’t open the content? None of that counts anymore. This is why so many people are seeing view counts drop — nothing is wrong with your content. Instagram is just measuring views more strictly. The good news is: your reach has not changed. Instagram is simply reporting views differently. And honestly, this shift gives us a clearer picture of true engagement. We’re now measuring intentional viewers — the people who cared enough to tap in. So if your views have dropped recently, take a breath. You’re not alone — this is platform-wide. And as always, you can always count on the Sircle team to keep you informed on any platform updates!

December 3, 20252 min

How to win in the 5th quarter!

Today I want to talk about a marketing window that most teams overlook — but absolutely shouldn’t: the week between Christmas and New Year’s, what a lot of marketers call “Q5.” Everyone thinks once the gifts are opened, the big sales moment is over. But across social platforms, that week is one of the most active periods of the entire year. People are off work, they’re scrolling more, and they’re still spending. Over half of weekly users on major platforms continue buying online from December 26th through the 31st, and a huge portion keep shopping in-store, too. It’s basically an extra sales window hiding in plain sight. What makes Q5 so interesting is how user behavior shifts. People aren’t searching for gifts anymore. Instead, they’re moving into two modes: “make my gatherings better” and “treat myself.” According to a recent Pinterest Study , there is a huge spike in searches and content engagement around food, drinks, outfits, and anything that elevates New Year’s plans — like “NYE cocktails” going up nearly 10x. At the same time, people start buying for themselves again. Health and beauty trends surge as people crave self-care resets before starting a new year. Now here’s where it gets even more interesting from a marketing perspective: decision fatigue. After weeks of shopping and planning, people are tired of making choices — but they’re still looking for inspiration. That’s why visually-led, discovery-based content performs so well during this week. Instead of asking users to think hard or search for the perfect phrase, you meet them with easy-to-consume, visually clear ideas. So even though the original study was about Pinterest, the takeaway applies everywhere. Q5 is a massive opportunity across all social platforms. Engagement is high, people are relaxed, they're inspired, and they're still in a buying mindset — but the type of content they respond to shifts. If brands show up with helpful, aspirational, visually intuitive content, they can end the year strong and walk straight into January momentum instead of starting from zero. If you’re planning content for that window, lean into: Easy inspiration over heavy decision-making Self-care and “treat yourself” moments New Year planning and light resets Ideas that elevate the last gatherings of the season Simple, visually clear content that removes friction So, when everyone else is powering down for the year, remember this: Q5 is one of the best times to capture attention, drive sales, and set the tone for the year ahead. Most brands treat it like a quiet week — but it’s actually one of the most active weeks of the entire year. If you show up, you win.

November 25, 20252 min

TikTok Ban Update: November 2025

It’s been almost a year since that January TikTok ban was supposed to happen. Curious where things stand now? We’ve got you covered. Here’s the background starting in June of this year: In June, Trump once again delayed the TikTok ban deadline — giving it another 3-month extension, which meant TikTok should have been banned in September unless the app was sold by its Chinese owners. This marked the third time he chose not to enforce the ban, even though both political parties in Congress had agreed it was important for national security. Lawmakers once said TikTok was a huge national security threat and even passed a law forcing ByteDance to sell the app or get banned in the U.S. Today, as of November 2025, almost a year after the deadline, TikTok is still here — mostly because the Trump administration keeps extending the timeline and slowing down the process. Most of the politicians who pushed for the ban are now staying quiet. Only one responded, saying Congress still hasn’t been told how Trump’s proposed deal would actually protect Americans. Trump’s deal basically spins TikTok’s U.S. operations into a new company, but ByteDance would still own part of it and the U.S. version would license TikTok’s algorithm from China — which may not even meet the requirements of the law. China might not approve the sale anyway, so the whole thing is still unclear. Overall, Congress made a huge deal about banning TikTok, but now that Trump is delaying it, they aren’t pushing back — and the final deal may not actually cut TikTok off from China the way the law intended. You can count on the Sircle team to keep you updated on where TikTok continues to stand.

November 20, 20254 min

Strategic Social Media Planning for 2026 (for CPG Brands)

On this episode, I talk about the importance of deploying a social media strategy that actually aligns with your greater business goals. Dont chase likes and viral moments. Remember what really matters, and then adjust your plan and lean into it. For CPG brands, the name of the game is retail velocity. So, make sure you are creating content, pushing out messaging, and driving awareness, consideration, and trial in-store.

November 20, 20253 min

POV: Importance of Community Management

Today, I want to talk about something that sounds too simple to matter — but the data says otherwise. Replying to your comments. At Sircle, we always say that community management is the most important — though maybe the least sexy — part of any social media strategy. And now, the numbers back that up. According to Buffer’s latest engagement study , replying to comments can increase engagement anywhere from 5% to 42%, depending on the platform. I want to zero in on one of those platforms today: Instagram. Buffer analyzed over 700,000 Instagram posts from nearly 70,000 profiles, and the finding was crystal clear. When creators or brands reply to their comments, their posts perform better — by about 21% on average. The study controlled for things like account size, audience niche, and even whether a post had comments at all. When you engage back, your posts outperform your usual baseline. I think this is one of those moments where the data just reinforces what good social media managers already know: If you want engagement, do engagement. It’s not about tricking the algorithm or replying with emojis just to check a box. It’s about showing up — making your audience feel seen and heard. That one reply might spark another comment, which signals activity to Instagram, which bumps your post in the feed, which gets you in front of more people. And here’s the best part — this isn’t just true on Instagram. Buffer found the same trend across multiple platforms — Threads, LinkedIn, Facebook, and X — each one showing an engagement lift when creators replied to comments. If you want to see the full breakdown by platform, check out Buffer’s engagement report. So next time you post something, don’t just wait for the likes to roll in — jump into the comments. Because that one small action could boost your engagement by 21% — and probably a lot more in terms of community trust and connection. And this is something our Social Media Managers at Sircle Media already do every day — in fact, they execute community management three times a day, per platform, to make sure no comment goes unanswered.

October 28, 20252 min

Instagram’s brand-new UI update

Today I’m here to talk about Instagram’s brand-new UI update — here’s what you need to know Instagram is rolling out a new interface that rearranges the bottom navigation bar — with Reels now in the second tab and DMs in the third, allowing users to swipe between them. The goal is to make the app revolve around its most-used features: Reels and direct messages. Instagram chief Adam Mosseri confirmed this will roll out to all users soon, noting that usage data shows Reels and DMs dominate time spent on the app. In fact, Reels now make up 50% of all time on Instagram, and video watch time is up 20% year-over-year. This update signals Instagram’s continued shift toward a TikTok-style, video-first experience, and tests are already underway where users open directly to the Reels feed. The impact for marketers? Expect more emphasis on Reels and Stories as primary engagement drivers. The main feed may see less visibility, though it still serves as a valuable profile touchpoint. Brands should prioritize Reels and Stories for discovery and engagement, while using static posts for brand consistency. In short, Instagram is officially trying to center its experience around Reels and DMs — making short-form video and direct connection the core focus of the platform.